Civil War Timeline

  • Period: to

    American Industrial Revolution

    The industrial revolution was a period of economic and social growth in the United States.
    Conflict would rise because people would be forcing their agendas on slavery heavily during this time.
  • Mum Bett Case

    Mum Bett Case
    Mum bett was an enslaved person that sued the state for her freedom. The northerners and slaves would be inspired by her and try to fight for freedom. The southerners would feel threatened which would lead to rising tension.
  • 3/5 Comprimise

    3/5 Comprimise
    The 3/5ths compromise was a decision made during the Constitutional Convention that made slaves count as 3/5ths of a free person towards the state's population. The northerners would be upset that the south which had more slaves was gaining population. This would lead to the south having more say in elections.
  • Northwest Ordinance

    Northwest Ordinance
    The Northwest Ordinance was a law that established a process for governing the Northwest Territory and its eventual division into new states. Tension would have been increases because outlawing slavery in the Northwest Territory would upset the southerners.
  • Period: to

    Second Great Awakeing

    A Protestant religious revival movement that swept across the United States in the late 18th and early 19th centuries
    It fueled the abolitionist movement, which challenged the institution of slavery, and fostered a greater emphasis on individual morality and social reform, ultimately dividing the nation along moral and political lines
  • Creation of the cotton gin

    Creation of the cotton gin
    Eli whitney created the cotton gin which provided a way to clean cotton more efficiently.
    Pro slavery people would be glad that they could get cotton cleaner quicker. The people against slavery would be scared that cotton production was going to rise so the need for slaves would as well.
  • Louisiana Purchase

    Louisiana Purchase
    The Louisiana purchase was the U.S buying 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River from France for $15 million.
    The purchase ignited debates over the expansion of slavery, which divided the nation and heavily increased tension.
  • Missouri Comprimise

    Missouri Comprimise
    The Missouri compromise was an important agreement that addressed the issue of slavery in the newly purchased Louisiana territory.
    This sparked debate because both the north and the south wanted a different outcome for Louisiana.
  • Nat Turner’s Rebellion

    Nat Turner’s Rebellion
    Nat Turner’s rebellion was a rebellion of enslaved people who fought back to their owners and killed and injured many of them.
    This caused the southerners to feel like they need protection, they also used this as a argument for slaves being violent.
  • Period: to

    Mexican-American War

    The war was a conflict between the United States and Mexico over territory, especially the disputed boundary between the United States and Texas
    This led to the civil war because of the disagreements between the north and the south.The north and south argued about how they should handle slavery.
  • Period: to

    California Gold Rush

    The gold rush was a large migration of people, mostly men, ran to California in search of gold after its discovery at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California
    The large migration caused disagreements between the north and south because they were all in california togethor. They all wanted the rights to the gold for themselves.
  • Compromise of 1850

    Compromise of 1850
    The compromise was a series of five laws passed by Congress to address the issue of slavery in newly acquired territories from the Mexican-American War, aiming to resolve tensions between the North and South
    This caused the line that separates slavery from north to south and forces people to be on sides of America. This caused tension between the north and south to dislike each other further because they didn't agree with the comrisie.
  • Frederick Douglass July 4th speech

    Frederick Douglass July 4th speech
    A speech at an Independence Day Event. In this speech, Douglass, a former enslaved person and an abolitionist, challenged the hypocrisy of a nation that celebrated liberty while millions of people remained enslaved.
    It highlights the moral and ideological tensions that divided the nation. Delivered in 1852, nearly a decade before the war, his words exposed the contradiction between America’s founding ideals and the reality of slavery, making it clear that the country was contradicting itself.
  • Period: to

    Bleeding Kansas

    Bleeding Kansas was a time of civil unrest and violence in the 1850s, primarily focused on the Kansas territory, where pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces clashed over the issue of slavery
    This was the start of the civil war in the United States and started conflict. This set a violent precedent.
  • Kansas-Nebraska Act

    Kansas-Nebraska Act
    The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed in 1854, was a significant piece of legislation in U.S history, it created two new territories where slavery was decided by sovereignty.
    By allowing popular sovereignty, the people fought to win the vote to get their beliefs farther. This led to protests and rallies.
  • Attack on Charles Sumner

    Attack on Charles Sumner
    He was beaten on the floor of the U.S senate.
    It pushed people to realize you can use violence to fight for your beliefs. This caused people fight more frequently.
  • Dred Scott v. Sanford

    Dred Scott v. Sanford
    The court ruled that enslaved people, including Dred Scott, were not citizens of the United States and thus could not sue in federal court
    This caused the north to get mad and let slaves escape to the north. This caused southerners to be enraged and tell them they must send them back.
  • Raid on Harper's Ferry

    Raid on Harper's Ferry
    The raid was led by abolitionist John Brown, it was a failed attempt to initiate a slave revolt in the South
    This caused all the southerners to feel threatened. This caused them to make a government to protect themselves.
  • Period: to

    Southern seccession

    The act of eleven states severing ties with the United States Union.
    It has other states leaving the US which causes the conflict between the two. This is one of the main reasons the civil war started.
  • Period: to

    Shots fired at Ft. Sumter

    This was the official start of the fighting in the American Civil War. Union troops (Northern troops) stationed at Fort. Sumter in South Carolina was attacked by the South Carolina militia. Union lost and surrendered the fort to the Confederate militia.
    Unlike previous acts of violence, this was the first time violence broke out between organized military units. Fighting in the Civil War would continue for 4 more years after this event.
  • Election of 1860

    Election of 1860
    The Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin won.
    This election split up Americans from north to south and had them all have separate parties. This causes tension and had the south not wanting to be under Abraham Lincoln, and the North not thinking his view on slavery was strong enough.